Are hotels going green?

In 2007, I had the immense pleasure of staying in an eco-campground on Water Island, in the U.S. Virgin Islands near Saint Thomas. Showerheads and sinks had spring-loaded on/off mechanisms, which forced water conservation. There was a composting toilet and a pavilion where guests could store food stuffs in a communal, solar-powered refrigerator. There was even an old-fashioned, wall-mounted can crusher to ensure that our recycling was compacted for easy hauling. The entire experience felt somehow purifying (and not just because the cottages were un-air-conditioned and we sweated a lot!)

Though a stay in a green luxury hotel with first-class amenities is hardly the same thing, I imagine that a soak in a hotel spa or a night in a soft, feathery king-size bed would be all the more delicious if I knew that the tub was heated with solar power and the linens were woven from organic, sustainable plant materials. Like practicing random acts of kindness or throwing open the windows in spring, there's something about going green that just feels good. Since staying in a hotel also feels good, it makes total sense that staying in a green hotel might feel even better.

Shahan, Zachary. "Ride a Bike, Help Power the Hotel and Get a Free Meal in Copenhagen." Scientific American. April 26, 2010. (April 11, 2012) http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=ride-a-bike-help-power-the-hotel-an-2010-04